Feeling tense? Irritable? Resentful? Tearful? It could well be your time of the month, when your hormones and your emotions are all over the place.

Many women have to deal with the symptoms of PMT (pre-menstrual tension) once a month and according to recent research, at least 85% of menstruating women experience at least one symptom of PMT during their monthly cycle.

Often, the emotional symptoms of PMT are just as disruptive as the physical symptoms of PMT – but luckily, you can help to control some of the emotional symptoms of PMT by eating a healthy diet containing certain vitamins and minerals. Some of these vitamins and the foods they are found in are listed below – and in the Healthy Mummy Smoothies.

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are fatty acids that are essential for general health – but also for emotional health. You’ll find omega-3s in all sorts of foods, including oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring, nuts and seeds such as walnuts and flaxseeds and even in some types of vegetables.

When you are eating well and trying to lose weight, yoghurt may very well be a common item in your shopping trolley.

It’s a great way to get your recommended daily amounts of calcium and protein, and it also tastes great.

While there are many different types of yoghurt, some good ones for weight loss are Greek yoghurt, or natural yoghurt.

They tend to have less added sugar than the fruit flavoured or ‘low-fat’ or ‘non-fat’ yoghurts.

But if you are at a loss for ways to get yoghurt into your healthy eating plan, look no further…

Easter is just around the corner and that means chocolates! Lots and lots of chocolates everywhere!

Many people associate chocolates with Easter especially since the introduction of foiled-wrapped chocolate Easter eggs.

Although chocolates taste so good, we can’t deny that they are filled with calories that will put a major halt on our diet and exercise plan. And did you know that a regular Cadbury Creme Egg that is widely sold at supermarkets in Australia carries 150 calories per egg?

Well, instead of having chocolates for Easter, why not try baking some good old fashioned Hot Cross Buns?

By Elisha Danine – Nutritionist

Thousands of years ago, our food was nutritious; we hunted and gathered to burn off calories; and there was no obesity. Then the world evolved, we became a fast food nation and we became lazy.

Now our foods are nutrient poor, full of toxic pesticides and possibly hormones – we need all the nutrition we can get!

Read our advice on how to successfully lose weight, and keep it off.

• Don’t skip meals

This is one of the most important parts of the Lose Baby Weight philosophy. Many so-called ‘dieters’ think that skipping a meal means that they are cutting down on their daily calories. But more often than not, it leads to a crash in energy levels later in the day, which can often lead to unhealthy snacking or over-eating at the next meal. If you simply don’t have time to prepare yourself a healthy breakfast or lunch, reach for your Healthy Mummy Smoothie.

Click here for our favourite Healthy Mummy Smoothie recipes.

The sweet-tasting spud is surprisingly nutritional – and surprisingly versatile.

Sweet potatoes are much better for you than you’d expect, containing lots of fibre and plenty of vitamins and nutrients and are perfect to include on your Lose Baby Weight healthy eating plan. But what can this sweet yet savoury spud do for our health?

Low on the GI

Sweet potatoes are much better for your blood sugar than their white counterparts. Sweet potatoes rank much lower on the glycaemic index than white potatoes, and this means that their glycaemic load is lower than a white potato. In simple terms, sweet potatoes are processed more slowly, meaning that your blood sugar levels don’t spike – instead, the sugar from sweet potatoes is processed slowly, keeping your blood sugar levels stable. This helps to prevent cravings for fatty, sugary foods.

Today we are exploring 5 products that you might not have tried before, but might just learn to love.

Besides the health benefits for weight loss, which are numerous, it’s also a good thing to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Who knows, you might just become a convert!

Eating clean and adding more greens to your healthy diet plan is an amazing and refreshing way to feel good about yourself whilst working towards your ultimate goal of getting back your pre-pregnancy figure.

Salads are absolutely wonderful for our overall health and are delicious!

But most restaurants serve salads that are ridiculously packed with high calories and it pretty much ruins the whole idea of eating clean and healthy. More often than not, restaurant salads are extremely unhealthy and carry more calories than a regular burger.

Easter has hopped its way onto the calendar. If you are looking for a bit of a guide to decoding the calories of the popular foods this treat-filled weekend, read on.

For even more information from our nutritionist, you might also be interested to read our tips for a healthy Easter over here. 

They are very rarely eaten ‘straight up’, but lemons and limes sure are the delightful co-star of the fruit world.

Both lemons and limes are packed with Vitamin C (the antioxidant that helps fight heart disease, inflammation and cancer), as well as fibre. But it’s their flavour that can really help with weight loss.

Their strong flavour can jazz up your healthy meals and drinks without the added calories of a packaged dressing, sauce or flavourings.

Did you know? Limes actually have more Vitamin C than lemons, oranges or grapefruits.